Sami Mokbel reported for the Daily Mail on Thursday night that Arsenal had been offered the chance to sign Raheem Sterling in recent days.
The suggestion was that the Gunners were yet to act on that offer, but if an agreement can be reached between Chelsea and Sterling over the money he is owed, then Arsenal may decide to move.
James Olley confirms for ESPN that Arsenal have been offered Sterling, with the player’s camp sounding out the Gunners. Sterling is reportedly keen to secure a permanent move to another Premier League club, and Arsenal are open to an attacking signing.
Miguel Delaney reports for the Independent that Mikel Arteta has a strong relationship with Sterling and feels he can be a good influence on the squad, but Arsenal don’t want to pay a fee for the transfer.
According to Delaney, the move would rely on Sterling effectively terminating his deal with Chelsea first.
The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg and Ed Aarons confirm that Arsenal are at least considering the offer from Sterling’s camp, but the deal will be difficult to pull off.
Manchester United are also in the mix, having held talks with Chelsea over a swap for Jadon Sancho. But Sancho may yet join Chelsea either way.
Sterling made 43 appearances for Chelsea in 2023/24, scoring 10 goals and assisting a further eight. He played multiple different positions across the front line, making him a solid squad player for Arsenal if nothing else.
A move would have to develop very quickly now, and Sterling certainly won’t be involved in Saturday’s clash against Brighton unless a potential deal is finalised before midday on Friday.